


Lucky Almond

by GufettoGrigio



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Because it's the season, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Watch me butcher Swedish tradition and words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27938972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GufettoGrigio/pseuds/GufettoGrigio
Summary: “There’s a tradition” - Marcus explains, still chewing - “An almond is placed in the Risgrynsgröt and if you find the almond you can make a wish. Or, some say, you will get married within the year.”There is a beat of silence then Antonio looks up, chocolate eyes wide.“I know.” - he says.
Relationships: Marcus Ericsson/Antonio Giovinazzi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24
Collections: ABO Motorsport Fic Exchange





	Lucky Almond

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BearWithAHat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/gifts).



> For the lovely BearWithAHat, Banana Split has won. I hope you enjoy!! :) And you might get a Nico Rosberg/Seb fic too soon because you gave me ideas!!

“Fa un freddo becco!"

“I know” - Marcus laughs, pressing a kiss to Tonio’s red cheeks. The omega is wrapped in layers upon layers of clothing - a t-shirt, two of Marcus' hoodies, his heavy duffle coat, scarf, hat, gloves - and he still stands there, shivering. Hot blooded Italians.

“I promise we are almost done” - Marcus reassures, opening up his arms and letting Tonio snuggle into him, the omega pressing his ice-cold nose against the warm skin of the Alpha's neck with an unhappy grumble.

“If you had told me that choosing a Christmas tree was so complicated I would have told you to buy a fake one.”

“Weren’t you the one who wanted an actual Christmas tree for your first Christmas in Sweden?”

“Maybe” - Antonio grumbles, burrowing even further into the Alpha - “And you should have told me no.” 

*

If Marcus has to be honest, it had been quite a surprise when, two months earlier, Antonio had shyly proposed that they spend Christmas together in the Swede's home town. The Alpha had assumed Tonio would have wanted to go back to Puglia, given that Christmas is a deeply felt holiday for many Italians, a time for family, spent at home with those closest to them.

“It is” - Antonio had admitted, looking everywhere but at Marcus - “That’s why I am asking”

 _Oh_ \- Marcus had thought, feeling the warmth spread inside him - _Oh_. And maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, given that after a full year of courting Antonio had finally let him spend a heat with him, together, cocooned in the omega’s soft nest. But they are both fast people, what with the job they do, and Marcus has never felt so much so deeply for anyone else before: he worries that if he lets himself dream or assume too much he will accidentally end up moving too fast and mess it all up. 

“I look forward to it then.” - he had said and had finished melting when Antonio had beamed at him. Maybe, it turns out, he could let himself dream just a little.

*

The Christmas tree ends up being taller than the both of them, strapping it to the roof of the car is an adventure and getting it inside the door requires more coordination than either possesses but somehow they manage. They stand watching it, still in their coats and shoes and covered in pine needles from head to toe.

“Next year we just put the lights on the lemon tree in my parent’s garden” - Antonio mutters but he is grinning. The tip of his nose is bright red from the cold and it’s the most endearing thing Marcus has ever seen. He can't resist pressing a quick kiss on it.

“Deal. For now, why don’t you go take a shower? It will warm you up and I’ll put your clothes on the radiator for when you come out.”

Antonio _jumps_.

“Oh, no! Thank you!” - he says, scrambling in the direction of the door - “I mean…” He takes a breath. “A shower sounds lovely. But I can get my own clothes. There’s no need...my suitcase is kind of a mess…” He points to the door. “But you can come shower with me?”

“...Sure?” - Marcus says, confused but the Omega is already out of the room.

*

“I always wanted to have a white Christmas, you know?” - Antonio admits, snuggled into the corner of the couch. After the _steaming_ shower, the Omega had gone on a rampage around the house to collect every blanket, pillow, hoodie or random scrap of fabric that struck his fancy and piled them all into the sitting room. It’s more a pillow fort than a nest but it’s cosy and Marcus does not mind in the slightest, especially if he gets to cuddle inside the warm cocoon.

“It never snowed when I was a child" - Antonio goes on, letting his cold fingers slip underneath Marcus's sweater, splaying them over the warm, soft skin - "Puglia is too far south for that. But it snowed last year! You should have seen it, nobody knew what to do with it.”

Marcus humms, resting his cheek on top of Antonio's head “Did you make a snowman?”

There's an amused snort at that. “What do you think?”

“So what do you do, if you can’t usually make a snowman?”

“We eat. What?” - Antonio huffs, offended when Marcus laughs - “We are Italian. Tell me you Swedes don’t have traditional foods for Christmas too!”

Marcus raises his hands in surrender, or at least as much as he can with the Omega still cuddled into his chest.

“We do, we do. It’s Christmas Eve mostly. We make a julbord which is kind of a feast with several courses and foods. And _risgrynsgröt_. It’s a …”

“Rice pudding thing, yes?” 

“Yes!” - Marcus exclaims, surprised - “How do you know?”

Antonio shrugs with a sly smile, cooing softly as he shifts to press closer. “Kevin was talking about it.” - he says, _off hand_ , then hesitates. - “He said….you have to put a plate outside or the Christmas elf will be upset and make mischief.”

Marcus nods. It’s definitely not the only tradition associated with r _isgrynsgröt_ but he is not sure if it’s appropriate for him to mention the other. “True. Some families do it at dawn, some leave it to the night.”

When he looks down, Antonio is looking away, eyes focused on a rebel thread in the blanket. He picks at it nervously for a moment then looks up again, brown eyes wide. 

“Do you want to cook it?”

“ _Risgrynsgröt_?”

“Yes.” - Antonio nods, one of his hands back to nervously fidget with the corner of the blanket - And the j-sounding thing too, of course! I mean...”

“I thought you would want Italian food?” - Marcus asks, teasing.

Antonio rolls his eyes and relaxes, letting go of the blanket and snuggling back down. “Two years we have been together and you still forget to put salt in pasta water. I don’t trust you with anything but Swedish food. And take away maybe."

*

Cooking is surprisingly easy, mostly considering that they end up on a few tangents that leave them with not only _Ri_ _sgrynsgröt_ but also a fresh tray of gingerbread biscuits, hot chocolate, a burnt tea towel and quite a lot of cleaning to do. Especially the table, if they ever want to eat on it again. 

As he watches Antonio clutter around the kitchen, hands still covered in dough and a fleck of flour high on his cheekbone, Marcus can't help but think that he wants more of this. More of cooking together, of sharing moments and passions and traditions. More of each other, of coming home together and snuggling on the couch. He thinks of what it would be like to spend a heat here, in a home. Hotel rooms and Pack rooms are all fun and good and Marcus will take Antonio anywhere, anyway because it's _him_ that matters, not the place but he can’t help imagine what it would be like to hunker down here, where everything smells of Marcus, where in even just a week, Antonio's sweet smell has started to become intertwined in his. 

"We could put some of the gingerbread on the tree?" - Antonio says, snapping the Alpha out of his thoughts as he raises a hand to get a rebel strand of hair out of his eyes but only succeeds in smudging dough on the bridge of his nose. Marcus can't resist leaning in to lick it off, just to hear the omega squeal in laughter. 

Is two years too short to ask somebody to marry you?

*

They wake up late on Christmas morning. Antonio has somehow managed to steal the whole of the duvet and wrapped himself in it head to toe before snuggling back into Marcus. He purrs softly as the Alpha shifts, the warm light of the morning bathing them over. It’s very quiet outside, a sign that it hasn’t topped snowing through the night and Marcus sighs, happy, letting their mingling scents wash over him in the stillness.

"Buon giorno" - Antonio mumbles, head peeking out of his blanket burrito. 

"Buon giorno.” - Marcus echoes, nuzzling into Tonio’s sleep-tangled hair then nosing down along his jaw and rumbling appreciatively as the omega shifts his head, baring his neck to grant him better access.- “You were late to bed last night. Did you sleep well?" 

" Sorry, I needed to finish... _something_. I did! I stole all the blankets again though.”

"I’ll forgive you, just this once, because I love you. Ready for presents?"

Antonio nods, beaming, and sits up on the bed, duvet and all, ready to go. Yet, just as he makes to move and stand up, however, Marcus catches a whiff of his scent once more and freezes. Underneath the sweet fragrance of coffee and oranges that always seem to cling to the Omega, there is the unmistakable sour pang of distress.

*

"Is it bad if we finish the _Ri_ _sgrynsgröt_ for breakfast? With the gingerbread biscuits?" - Antonio wonders, peeking out of the window. They have put the plate out right before going to bed and it’s still there on the doorstep. Marcus takes that to mean that the Christmas elf was either too full, considered it a poisoning attempt and/or decided to starve. Either way, the smell of sweet rice and cinnamon together with the aroma of fresh coffee that Antonio has brought to the small table in front of the Christmas tree is too inviting to pass up.

They sit and eat, laughing and opening the presents. There are quite a few, some from friends, some from family. Antonio’s mum has sent a bunch of dried figs which have Antonio squeal in delight. Marcus himself has gotten a bottle of lovely white wine and a sweater.

“Are you finished with that?” - Antonio asks, pointing to the plate with the _Ri_ _sgrynsgröt_ He grabs his spoon, and scoops some up, determined, and holds it out for Marcus to take. And what can Marcus do if not oblige, lips wrapping around the spoon. He smiles, as Antonio takes the spoon back and hands him another present from the pile. The Omega’s hands are shaking, just a bit as he hands the present over.

Marcus is about to ask if everything is ok when his teeth hit something hard. _Oh_ \- he thinks as he bites down.

"Marcus?"

“There’s a tradition” - Marcus explains, still chewing - “An almond is placed in the _Ri_ _sgrynsgröt_ and if you find the almond you can make a wish. Or, some say, that you will get married within the year.”

There is a beat of silence then Antonio looks up, chocolate eyes wide.

“I know.” - he says and the words waver in his mouth. Marcus’ instinct is to reach out, concerned, to comfort his mate but the omega shakes his head. 

“I know” - he repeats and points at the gold and red wrapped box sitting by Marcus’ elbow - “Open your present...please?”

The Alpha does. He digs his fingers in, tearing the paper apart in his haste and uncovers the velvet box inside, light blue. It’s his turn to have shaky hands now, his mouth falling open as he reveals what’s inside.

The ring is plain silver, simple but elegant, a single line of aquamarine embedded in a circle through its middle. 

Marcus stares, wide eyed.

*

Antonio’s already wavering courage starts to stretch thinner and thinner as the silence goes on. He has had the ring for a full month, ever since he saw it in the window shop of a little jeweller in Imola. It had caught his attention for the color of the stone running through it, a clear bright blue the same shade as Marcus’ eyes and he hadn’t been able to resist. Some of the others in the Paddock had called him crazy when they had seen it. Not because the ring isn’t utterly perfect but because it is just...not done. It isn’t the Omega’s place to ask, it isn’t the Omega’s place to show his interest. Tradition wants the Alpha to choose. The alpha is the one in control, the one to make the decisions. But surely, Antonio had thought before coming over to Sweden, when he had hidden the ring away in his suitcase, wrapped carefully in a spare hoodie, this was their decision. Together. For them. Because Antonio loves his Alpha more than anything and he knows what he wants; he has known for years really, ever since he first invited Marcus to spend his heat with him, since he first let the Alpha into his nest and into his life.

And it says something that the memory still makes Antonio smile, a small, warm shiver of pleasure running down his spine as he recalls how wide and slightly terrified Marcus’ gorgeous blue eyes had gone when Antonio had first asked, how careful and sweet the Alpha had been with him. Not that sweet is the term Antonio would use for some of the things him and Marcus have done since, but still. The memory is a cherished one, always, and it had given Antonio the confidence to try this.

But now Marcus is here, with the ring and the Omega can feel his nerves snapping. Can the Alpha smell the distress on him, smell how nervous he is? God, what if Marcus says no? Or even worse, what if Marcus had wanted to get married but is now upset because it’s not Antonio's place to ask? What if Antonio has ruined this for them? The thought makes him almost whimper but he bites the sound down. 

“I know it’s not how it’s done…” - he mumbles, quietly, looking down at the table - “I know it's usually the Alpha who asks...but I love you and I-”

He doesn’t get to finish. The coffee gets upturned, the wrapping paper and the figs and their spoons all clatter to the ground and suddenly there are lips on his, warm and frantic and Antonio’s mouth opens with a gasp as he finds himself enveloped by the strong arms and scent of his Alpha. Warm, wanted. Safe.

“Yes.” - Marcus says, breaking the kiss just long enough to let the word out before he is back to pressing their mouths together - “Yes. Absolutely. Now. Tomorrow. Always.”

“Are you sure?” - Antonio asks, still slightly worried. - “Do you like it?”

“I like _you_.” - the Alpha says, pressing a kiss on his forehead - “My enterprising, beautiful Omega.”

He nuzzles down the Omega’s neck, daring for the first time to dig just a hint of teeth at the junction of his shoulder, there where the mating bite would - _will_ \- go and Antonio shudders, shamelessly baring his neck. The smell of distress is gone, not a hint of it left as Antonio presses closer, a happy purr raising up in his throat. 

“This is the best Christmas present ever. I don’t think what I got you can ever compete” - Marcus admits and Antonio laughs, giddy. 

The ring fits perfectly. He will need to get Antonio a matching one - Marcus thinks, feeling the love and pride swell up warm in his chest - though he can’t deny he is looking forward to putting a more permanent Mark on his Antonio too. His Omega. His Mate.


End file.
